Hugo Naude

Artist : Hugo Naude

1869 - 1941

Cape Dutch Farmstead and Flower Pickers

Oil canvas laid on board

23 x 29 cm (unframed)

41 x 47 cm (framed)

In 1889 he travelled to London where he trained at the prestigious , and the following year he continued his studies at the  (AKDB, München). Whilst in Europe, Naudé spent a year in  where he lived and worked amongst the  of painters.Just as the French group inspired the likes of Monet in his explorations of Impressionism, they also inspired Naudé to create his own Cape Impressionist style one which was adopted by generations of artists who followed him, including , , and Ruth Prowse.

Upon his return to South Africa in 1896, Naudé adapted his European influences and teachings so as to more accurately reflect the abundance and brilliance of his local landscape. Motivated by his great love for nature and landscape, Naudé travelled by caravan on many painting expeditions across . Painting en plein air with bold hues of yellow and orange below, and clear blue skies above, Naudé captured the landscapes he encountered with great confidence and a unique freshness never-before-seen in his home country. This artistic movement came to be known as Cape Impressionism, represented by several renowned South African Cape painters who developed a style unique to South Africa.